Around Whalley.

 Tuesday 13th August 2024.

This will be my first walk since getting back from Scotland. 

I have been having private CBT treatment in Didsbury, Manchester. It has been a huge help and although, as I posted previously, anxiety cannot be cured, only managed. 

I am now managing. A lot of the dread has been lifted and I feel in a better place so we decided to go for a couple of nights away. Not far from home.

The walk I picked started straight from the hotel we stayed at which was the Foxfield Country Hotel between Whalley and Langho.

From the hotel we turned left, passed the Artisan Restaurant where a track turns left through farm buildings with lots of chickens roaming free. Once over the railway bridge we came to gates with a stile on the right and on the left was this post planting machine. (Photo below).

Post setting Machine made in USA.

Woods Brothers Brick. Relatively modern as bricks go, founded in 1938. 

Zeter 7745 Tractor. 4 wheel drive, Made in Czechoslovakia from 1988-1972.

3.9 litre engine with 54 hp.

Railway Line from Manchester to Clitheroe.

Over the stile we handrail the fence on the right into the corner of the field where we crossed another stile into a field containing lots of sheep at this time of the year. The sheep were mainly sheltering as it was quite a warm windless day but as we approached they do what sheep do and got up and scattered.

We followed the left hand fence round to the far corner to another stile. Once into the next field ignore the stile on the right and head up hill. Continuing to a gate where we joined the Whalley Old Road. 

Turning left we continued until we came to Hollin Hall and a footpath sign post on the right. The road is not too busy but the cars were going at a fair old pace considering it is a narrow road.

Stoneyhurst College.

View West towards Longridge.

The path up hill is quite steep but the views open up as we made progress. We had a good view of Stoneyhurst College and across to Pendle Hill.

We crossed a small wooded area which led us to a gate stile and onto Moor Lane which is also part of the Ribble Valley Jubilee Way. It is a pleasant "road" to walk with hardly any traffic at all except for local farm community. Again the views were excellent. Along here we met a lady day walker who lived in Langho. We walked and chatted for 10 minutes until our paths diverted. 

When we came to a "T" junction we turned left with Brierleys farm in front of us. The driveway to the farm was particularly pleasant with all the flowers in bloom. The road downhill is steep and I was looking for a footpath sign on the right which would keep us on the Jubilee trail. Good views can be had of the railway viaduct and its 48 arches. Known locally as the Arches.

Drive to Brierley farm.

Whalley Arches, built between 1848 and 1850. 600yds long. 6 million bricks and 12,000 cu yds of stone were used in the construction. There were 3 deaths also.

We came to a very nice detached house with a footpath sign pointing up the drive. I checked the map and we were in the right place but we pondered about whether or not the sign was right as the right of way would take us right through their garden with patio furniture and right infront of the house windows. 

There was a robot lawn mower working as we passed the house and I thought we might be told we were on the wrong path but no, there was a gate with a Jubilee badge just passed the house. I cannot say I would be happy with the weekend hikers or us for that matter walking through my garden whilst I was eating al fresco. But I guess the people knew there was a right of way when the house was built and good on them for not making it difficult to find our way through. 

Looking down to Whalley.

Anyway, into the next field we contoured the obvious line round to our right where we picked up a good track leading to a wooded area. At the fence we turned left down through Nab Wood to the main road and bridge over the River Calder at Whalley.

Whalley Main Street was quite busy and we spotted many high end motor vehicles. Porsches, Bentleys, Mercedes etc. Obviously the money people live here. We crossed the bridge and turned right down a side street which led to a vantage point to view the weir. Across the river was the unusual house called  The Marjoire, it looks ecclesiastical in design but it seems to have posed a mystery for centuries as to where the name came from. It was a farm with a dairy at one point.

The Calder Bridge at Whalley

The Marjorie farm house.

From here we made our way further down the high street until we spotted Holdens Coffee shop and Deli where we stopped for refreshment. Very nice too. (we didn't have cake).

On our way again we crossed the main road taking a side street on the left which winds its way passed the entrance to Whalley Abbey. Before the Abbey is reached we had a quick look around the Church.

St. Mary's and All Saints Church, Whalley.

The foundation stone for the building of the Abbey was in 1330. We didn't go in and visit the Abbey as we had done it on previous visits. The Abbey now has accommodation and is a Retreat and Conference centre.

The old gatehouse was infront of us and The Arches were behind it. We stopped off briefly to have a look in the gardens of the English Martyr's RC church. Beyond The Arches our route turns left and crosses the river but today and for the foreseeable future the path is closed to all for refurb work. There was no detour provided by the council whilst work continues so we had a dilemma. What do we do.

The closed footpath alongside the Arches covered with white plastic sheeting.

I checked the map and to the west was an "A" road which crosses the river and the path we were on led to it. We walked along until we came to the road but there was no access at all from the path to the road. So we had to turn back.

Along the way Sheila asked a local if there was an alternate route across the Calder but there was only the bridge in Whalley which we had crossed earlier. It was a disappointment to have to retrace our steps but there we go.

We backtracked and had a pretty boring road walk back to the hotel. One good point was that we passed the Old Abbey Corn Mill site built 1837. Now apartments but the water wheel still functions.

It was 12km and took us 4 hrs with plenty of stops.